Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 09:23:01 -0400
Reply-To: Joe Chasse <chassehsd@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joe Chasse <chassehsd@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Teenage Vanagon Drivers
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I remember when I first learned how to drive and needed a car.
My Dad had two vehicles, his new Suburban (which he loved) and a BMW he only
drove for long business hauls.
I got to drive the BMW (GOD BLESS THE EARLY 90's)
Actually thinking back to those days I would never have let myself drive my
vanagon.
SERIOUSLY....think back to being a teenage driver, there are a few
distinctions between a Vanagon and your average German import luxury sedan.
1. Speed = teenagers like to exhibit it Vanagons don't. It took some
growing up to allow me to hit the highways at a max 65-70 mph speedrate.
"Flooring" your van will not shorten the trip as much as it will shorten the
lifespan of your engine.
2. Brakes = frankly as a teenager we all had a lack of experience in judging
braking distance (still have that on occasion actually) not a good thing in
a vehicle with notoriously soft brakes.
3.Stability = the turn radius on these things in extremely short, great for
getting into tough spaces but not great for taking hairpin turns at speed,
even in my enlightened older state I have misjudged cutting a number of
curbs and run over them with the rear end. Also if you have done any
highway driving in a heavy trucking area you know that basically your
vanagon is like a big sail on wheels. If you are lucky the wind is blowing
from behind often it is from the side and a good gust can really wake you up
when you are not paying attention.
4.Maintenance= I am not talking about major repairs just general yearly
maintenance, some used Toyota or such is gonna be easier to get parts for as
well as give more flexibility when it comes time to find a garage for jobs
that require more then a driveway and a free Saturday afternoon.
In the end of course you are the best judge of your daughters character,
from what I have seen from my own kids...use your own worst youthful
experience and magnify it by 3x to get a rough approximation of what your
kids are capable of.
When you consider the love you have for your van and the cost of "normal"
repairs much less major ones, you may very well find that it is less
expensive to buy your daughter "her very own car" for a few thousand
dollars. This is not to say that she shouldn't be allowed to borrow it on
occasion (with the requisite level of respect and threats of bodily
harm)...but if your van is being used for every run with "the girls" or "be
right back" adventure. Man think back to your own first ride....need I say
more.
But man I sure did love driving that BMW :)
Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Van Till" <rvantill@ISERV.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 8:29 AM
Subject: Teenage Vanagon Drivers
With my oldest daughter rapidly approaching driving age, I'm wondering how
many listmembers let their kids drive their vans. I don't think I could
bring myself to it, but I am curious if anyone else is this trusting.
Roger Van Till
'89 Westy "The Moose Lounge"
